This invention relates to sports training aids and, more particularly, to a football training aid and method designed to train a player to receive a pass.
In the game of football, it is very important that players learn proper techniques of catching the ball, as in a forward or lateral pass, or a snap from center. Various training devices have been developed to train football players in an attempt to increase their skills at passing, kicking and receiving a football. Quick repetitions of the proper body movements required to successfully pass, kick or receive the football have proven an effective training method. Training aids developed heretofore have thus typically taken the form of a tethered ball which returns in the proximity of the player following execution of the practice pass or kick such that prolonged retrieval of the ball is avoided and repetitions of shorter intervals may be made.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,338 issued to Randall May on Sept. 21, 1982 discloses a tethered football having a harness arrangement for placement along the seams of the football which is used to return a passed or punted football. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 1,655,599 issued to Dolan, Jr. on June 21, 1923 discloses a tethered football having wing flaps used for practice kicking. It is obvious that a specially designed football is required to practice the Dolan patent and that the harness arrangement of May is prone to slippage and breakage. More importantly however, neither the May nor Dolan patents disclose or suggest the use of a tethered football for practice pass receiving, or otherwise aid in sharpening a player's skills in catching the ball.
It is therefore a main object of the present invention to provide a football training aid and method which is designed to effectively train a player to catch a moving ball.
It is a further object to provide a football training aid and method which permit quick repetitions of receiving the same practice football by a player.
It is another object to provide a football training aid and method which require no passing ability on the part of the player who delivers the practice football to the receiving player.
It is still another object to provide a football training aid which is simple in design and use, yet fully effective at training a football player to receive a pass in a variety of positions encountered under actual game conditions.
Other objects will in part be obvious and in part appear hereinafter.